Reason, Season, Lifetime

Flashback to 16 years old, I was having a rough year. My best friend and I sat alone in the lunchroom, in the corner of the room and kept mostly to ourselves to avoid a group of former friends who had taken to bullying us.

The teacher that was responsible for overseeing the study hall took a liking to us. Now, I'm not sure if she just saw two lost girls in the corner who needed guidance, or if she genuinely enjoyed our odd senses of humor, but this teacher (we'll call her Ms. Kind), stopped by to say hello to us every day. She became our confidant, our protector, our friend.

One piece of advice she gave me that I think about almost every single day is that:

“Some people are in your life for a reason, some for a season, and some for a lifetime. ”

I may not have known what it fully meant at the time, but now I feel like I can truly speak to it through experience.

Some people are in your life for a reason.

Sometimes, you meet people that make a big impact on you and your life, but it revolves around a certain area or aspect of your life. When I was in college, I joined a business fraternity as a freshman. I was an active member throughout my college career, holding several executive board positions. Our chapters' alumni advisor graduated from Miami University in Ohio, so his college and fraternal experiences were different than those we had at DePaul.

He continued to share the knowledge he had gained over his years as a collegiate member, as a member of the alumni organization, and as the leader of the awards program for our National Convention. He helped me to double my chapter, expand my professional development opportunities, and ultimately, he helped me with my decision for post-graduation plans. I still assist with my business fraternity, from an alumnus perspective. I still chat with my valued, fraternal mentor, but not as regularly as I would like.

Some people are in your life for a season.

My young adult life was a very challenging time, full of uncertainty about what the future would entail. For a time, I needed guidance. When I began applying for colleges, I knew I would be paying for college myself, and that I would not be able to take out any loans. I was lost. Thankfully, someone from church offered to help. He and his wife invited me over, and he had me map out what exactly I wanted my career to look like. From there, we investigated schools that had good programs in those areas and applied accordingly.

After I had gotten accepted, figured out how I was going to pay for it, and started at DePaul, I was still working a minimum wage job. Again, I was paying for my expenses myself, so minimum wage was not really cutting it. That's when my friend from church reached out again. He said, "hey, I work for XYZ company - I need a contractor for a project, and I'd like to help you get your foot in the door." And HE DID.

I worked as a contractor for a few months and was hired as a permanent employee after impressing the VP with my performance. My time at that company, working for and with someone I respected so much, opened so many doors for me. When I eventually decided it was time to move on from that role, he could not have been prouder of me. I had been at the company for about a year and a half, had learned what I could and left improved processes in my wake. I had growth so much in those few years since applying to college - I had direction, goals, and DRIVE.

Some people are around for a lifetime.

Sometimes you get lucky and meet people you just click with. I feel so fortunate in my current company to have found some of the most amazing mentors I have ever had the pleasure of working with. Although I have only been at my company for a few years, I can honestly say I have met people that will continue to grow and shape myself and my career.

Post-graduation, I was in a rotational, developmental program. This gave me the opportunity to work with and for a wide variety of folks across our organization. I am very lucky to have met someone that I feel comfortable enough calling out of the blue to ask candid questions. And someone else that I feel comfortable asking the "stupid" questions. The connections I have with the mentors I have collected over the last two years are special to me because I know how busy each of their work-lives are, and they always make me feel like a priority. 

Now, although Ms. Kind was very wise, I know she was not the original author of this message, but I think it really took her sharing it with me for it to leave the impact that it did. My only hope is that I can inspire others in the same way that my mentors have inspired me in the difficult seasons of my life.

-Laura Ann